"Marriage? We're not getting married!" Aang said almost yelling.

"Well, not right now!" Mizaki argued while put his empty cup of tea aside.

"Perhaps a near future, a future engagement. Months from now, of course!" Mizaki said reluctantly.

"That's it." Toph said loudly.

She grabbed a bottle of leftover fire whiskey from the table. She poured herself a flooded cup of fire whiskey. She quickly gulped down.

"You drink?" Aang asked horrified.

"Hey, nothing tastes better than some good fire whiskey in the morning. Helps me every time," said Toph in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Actually, now that I think about it, I'll have a drink." Mizaki said thoughtfully.

"What? You can't just agree with her!" Aang yelled.

"Why not? She's right. Fire whiskey is an old Fire Nation tradition that really wakes you up in the morning. You might want to drink up, young Avatar," Mizaki said, "it's going to be a loooong day."

"You said it," Toph said walking out of the living room.

Aang stood there perplexed. Alot was going on. On one hand, Mizaki was drinking Fire whiskey with a non-blind Toph. On the other hand, there was the non-blind Toph. On another hand, he had slept with her. And another other hand, he had meeting with the Union later today which could lead to chaos. And to top it all off, he knew he couldn't get let anyone find out about this. And anyone meant Katara.

While his thoughts railed off, he noticed Toph had walked out the door into the front yard.

"Wait, where are you going?" Aang said rushing towards her.

"Away from you aren't that obvious?" she said quickly.

"Why?" Aang asked.

"Why would I want to stay talk about things? I'm starting to get real bored!" Toph said sharply.

"Bored? You're worried about being bored!" Aang replied, his patience was running thin.

"We have this situation, and the only thing that happens to concern you apparently is the fact you are bored?" Aang asked running out of breathe.

"Well, what else is there to talk about really, Aang?" Toph said annoyed. She looked towards her left and she saw some servants staring at them. All the commotion was making the servants wonder what was really going on in Castilla. Rumors were sure to spread. Like she cared. Aang might but she didn't.

Toph sighed.

"Look, it happened, it's over now, okay? I'm going to go now because I really don't want to be here." Toph said rather quietly. She didn't want anyone else hearing their conversation.

But Aang wasn't buying it. He was flustered, and he wasn't sure if it was about the meeting with Union or his current situation with Toph.

"Go now? Have you seen what you're wearing? You can't go out into the streets like that!" Aang said loudly.

The rumors were some of the things he was thinking about. "The Avatar's Mistress." "The Avatar's Wild Birthday Night" was some of the headlines that came into his mind. He couldn't afford for his reputation to be stained, too much was going on in the Union for another scandal.

Toph gave Aang a quick glance, she was tired of him and she was furious at him.

"Listen, Aang, I know that since now you're the great powerful Avatar you think you can just dictate people's lives. Well think again, you jerk!" Toph said angrily, "I have always been doing what I want for a while and I'm not going to stop just because it'll ruin your stinking reputation! And yes I'm fully aware of what I'm wearing, I'm not blind anymore, 'member?"

She gave Aang a quick smirk and she continued walking towards the gate.

"That's it! I tried reasoning with you, but you just won't have it will you? Don't you care about anything?" Aang said now yelling.

All servants stared in amazement they had never seen the Avatar so angry; he was always a good cheery fellow with a great sense of humor. But that was not certainly this Avatar right now. He seemed very agitated and upset.

"You airhead, you think you know me, you think you know my life? Well I'm sorry I don't live up to your expectations of greatness!" Toph yelled back. She had pure anger in her face, an expression he recognized.

"In fact, the truth is you don't even know my life! None of you guys do! The last time you ever saw me was when you broke up with Sugar Queen, and that, as everyone else who lives in the Earth Kingdom knows, was ages ago!" Toph yelled it all in one single breathe.

Something in Toph's awful truth struck Aang painfully. Whether it was Katara or the guilt of abandoning Toph.

Toph saw Aang's guilt, but she had more. She had been waiting for so long to release this.

"You guys forgot about!" Toph said as her voice cracked. Tears swelled up her eyes, but she didn't cry. No, she couldn't.

"You guys never visited or wrote, Katara wrote once or twice, always talking about her life, she'd never really asked about me. Except once or twice out of politeness, I suppose. And you, the last time you wrote to me was on my seventeenth birthday, which was five years ago and you even send it to me a month late…" Toph said painfully.

She took a breathe and finished, "You all had something going on your lives and I get that, that's fine, I had my own life to settle, too. But don't you dare go around making assumptions about me, Aang, because you actually don't know anything about me!"

Aang stood quiet. He didn't really know what to say, in fact there was nothing he could say. Nothing could make up for those years of forgotten friendship. He just stood there quiet with his face down.

The servants all did the same, except they were staring directly at Aang and Toph both who had finally quit yelling.

Mizaki walked through the group of servants surrounding Aang and Toph. "Alright, back to work everybody, there's nothing to see!" he said sternly pushing them aside. Oozy continued," Okay everybody back to work, no problems here, shoo!"

Mizaki gave a sigh and added,"Aang, we must get going, the meeting starts at 11 and you're going to be late."

He looked at Aang and Toph with a stern expression, "These are hard times for both of you, but there are bigger things to be taken care of."

Aang nodded and he looked back at Toph. "I'm sorry about everything, I really Am." he said sincerely. And at once Toph knew he was truthful, it was that same Aang's voice she once knew. Always so calm and sure of him, even though half the world had been ending at the time, Aang knew it would be okay. He believed it so much than even at times she would believe it, too. Now she didn't know what to believe but she knew this was not the time or place to find out.

Toph gave a heavy sigh.

"I'm going to go out get some fresh air because this place and you are very, very suffocating. And I do not want to be stuck here with a bunch of people watching my every move; it's my parent's house all over again." Toph said calmly looking at the dispersed servants who were still discreetly watching them.

"I'm going to go but I'll be back. Okay?" Toph added looking at Aang with a bit of pain.

She turned over to Mizaki and said once again, "Okay?"

Mizaki nodded silently and added," That'll be alright."

The hazy sun was now almost all the way over Ba Sing Se. The noisy streets was nothing compared the event that was about to go down in the King's Court.

It wasn't merely a court, but rather a large building that held various rooms. One particular room, and also the largest, assembled the Union meetings. The Union was a league created by Avatar Aang that consisted of representatives from the four nations who'd come in a place of peace to talk about world and legal issues.

"Come in peace, yeah right", Aang thought as he sat in his seat. Zhing, the Earth Kingdom delegate and also the King's distant cousin, was speaking, or yelling actually, about the current border problems between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. Ever since the war had ended, various Fire Nation taken land were still to be given back to the Earth Kingdom. However, the Fire Nation's delegate, Nakoto, argued the land had previously belonged to the Fire Nation before the war.

Nakoto had called Zhing's allegations "Erroneous" and "Uncredible". Zhing replied by calling Nakoto "a skimpy woman who'd lack any political criteria". And that was last meeting.

This meeting, however, the never-ending debate continued with Nakoto and Zhing attacking each other.

"So, Minister Zhing, you really expect the Fire Nation to give up land that we rightfully owned even before previous war engagements?" Nakoto asked frivolously. She was a slender, cold woman with long brunette hair and feisty eyes. She had a calm voice that could rise sharply when called for.

"I am simply asking for what belongs to our Kingdom!" Zhing replied dignity. Zhing was a meticulous man with a thin mustache and nervous fingers. He was very intelligent but had no sense of humor and was easily offended.

Aang looked around the room; everyone else was silent and paying attention to the discussion. Except for Katara, the Water Delegate, who managed to make eye contact with Aang and give him a slight smile. Aang's stomach flipped quickly, he quickly turn his attention back to Nakoto who was about to speak.

"So tell me, Minister Zhing," said Nakoto, rising from her seat, "who are the providers of such information?"

"Providers? Ha!" Zhing answered sharply. "Half the isla of Gerung are made up of Earth Kingdom people, and their family and ancestors can, in fact, confirm that generations of Earth Benders and such have dwelled there for more than centuries!" Zhing concluded.

Nakoto walked around her seat and said coldly, "I see…"

She paused and looked up. The whole court went silent, Nakoto was a woman of sharp words whom many feared to ever have an argument with. Aang knew this quite well.

"Minister Zhing, you say half of Isla of Gerung is Earth Kingdom people, right?" Nakoto asked.

"Yes, I am" Zhing said proudly.

"So it would be accurate for me to assume, the other half is Fire Nation people?" Nakoto asked.

"Why, I suppose so…" Zhing was saying. "Then wouldn't you suppose these other half of people have their own family history and lineage?" Nakoto asked rising her voice slightly.

"It would be so." Zhing said quietly.

"Then, how can be judge who is more deserving of this Isla of Gerung?" Nakoto asked loudly.

The court stirred. Murmurs both attacked and praised Nakoto. Aang had an uneasy feeling; he knew things could get ugly. He knew things could get bad.

Nakoto seemed pleased with the court's reaction. "Should we judge its people or its current government?" Nakoto continued.

"As you all know, the Isla of Gerung is currently in control of the Fire Nation and in absence of Fire Lord, Zuko, who busy attending other affairs, we have always cared and appreciated Isla of Gerung's people." Nakoto said proudly.

"Now, for years the Earth Kingdom people have not complained about our current government over them. It is safe to assume they are happy and do not need no service of the Earth King." She concluded looking sharply in the eyes of Zhing, whose face was becoming red.

Nakoto's comment caused even more revolt around the court. The Earth Kingdom did not tolerate anyone to speak ill or deny the Earth King.

Zhing rose up violently from his seat, shockingly most onlookers. Even Aang.

"How dare you insult the mighty and powerful Earth King?" Zhing yelled out furiously.

"I am not insulting the Earth King in any way! "Said Nakoto, whose voice had risen significantly.

She glared at Zhing and added," I am simply implying that the earth people in Isla of Gerung are more than content with the current government."

"How would you know?" Zhing snapped back in anger, "do you speak for the earth people?"

"No, I suppose I do not." Nakoto said bitterly.

"Then? Do not tell me what the people want, I'll represent my people and you represent yours!" Zhing said angrily.

The court became more stirred. Ministers and delegates began to argue with each other. Aang decided it was enough fighting for one day.

"Enough!" Aang said rising from his chair. Aang added, "Minister Zhing, Lady Nakoto, I think it's enough debate on the Isla of Gerung."

The court quieted down. Both Nakoto and Zhing turned their looks away from Aang.

"Lady Nakoto, if you don't mind I think this Isla of Gerung problem should be discussed with Lord Zuko, himself."Aang said.

Nakoto's expression went sour. She gritted her teeth as she said, "yes, Avatar."

"As for you Minister Zhing, I understand this land is of the Earth Kingdom's concern, but it is currently under the control of the Fire Nation and any further objections should be dealt with them and not the Earth King." Aang said calmly.

Minister Zhing wiped the sweat from his face and agreed quietly, "yes, Avatar Aang."

"Now, Minister Tao, could you proceed with the announcements of the day?" Aang said addressing a tall, slim man who was holding a set of scrolls.

"Yes, Avatar." Tao replied.

Aang gave a sigh as he collapsed into his chair. This was just another council meeting, always problems, always drama, always conflicts. He thought peace would automatically come after the war, but boy was he wrong! Peace has never been harder to achieve. Peace was a word the Union no longer knows. So many conflicts of interests had indeed torn the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation relationship. Aang represented the Air Nomads, so no conflict there. Katara represented the Water Tribe and they, too, never had many issues. It was mostly the Earth kingdom and the Fire Nation going at it.

Aang had tried to ignore the conflict before; he thought it was only temporary. But things seem to be getting worst.

As Nakoto turned around to take her seat she looked over at Aang and said softly, "I don't think the Fire Lord will be able to solve this problem."

Aang prayed to the spirits the Fire Lord would solve this problem. Or else he felt a war might begin to linger.

Here's chapter six, sorry for the long wait you guys, I finished earlier today but I couldn't upload it,GRRRR!

So things aren't so cheery at all for the Gaang. And things are about to get more tangled. -_-

On a side note, thank you for all the reviews and YOU for taking time to read this and enjoy this story. Like always leaving comments and reviews is soo much appreciated.

-Alex